Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Clint Eastwood is a national treasure. At seventy five years old, the veteran actor and director just keeps churning out incredible films. Whereas he thrilled audiences with numerous memorable character roles such as Harry Callahan the infamous man with no name in Sergio Leone´s spaghetti western trilogy, Clint Eastwood is one of the quintessential tough guy actors and perhaps the stereotypical image of a cinematic gunslinger. Though he has been directing films since 1971´s "Play Misty For Me," Eastwood did not get the credit he deserved as a filmmaker until 1991´s stunning revenge western, "Unforgiven." He has gotten numerous accolades since "Unforgiven" for films such as "Mystic River" and picked up a second Best Director Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby." In the year 2006, Eastwood signed on with Steven Spielberg for an unprecedented project – filming both sides of the Iwo Jima conflict concurrently and releasing them within a few months of each other. With the praise and support of the Japanese people and the permission to film on the island of Iwo Jima, Eastwood continues to be nothing short than amazing as both films are being nominated for Academy Awards in various categories and the adjoining film to "Flags of Our Fathers," "Letters from Iwo Jima" is up for Best Picture and Best Director.

I grew up on military and war films. My father retired from the Air Force after twenty nine years with the rank of Master Sergeant. He takes his military history and films that portray any conflict or branch of the service with a keen and critical eye. Despite being raised in an Air Force family, I joined the United States Army and served in the Infantry during the first Gulf War conflict. As an example of my love for military history, one of my prized possessions is a World War II vintage M1 Garand rifle, complete with a 1942 bayonet. Needless to say, there was quite a fervor upon hearing the news that Eastwood was going to film two pictures detailing the historic conflict that occurred on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and give the perspective from both sides of the conflict. The only other time that a major Hollywood production attempted something like this was the 1970 film "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and though that is a remarkable film for its period, it does not delve into any great depth due to its relatively short running time of 144 minutes. By dedicating two distinct films on the conflict, Eastwood promised perhaps the most comprehensive film of any World War II battle ever to be delivered to the big screen.

"Flags of Our Fathers" was completed and released first and featured the American perspective of the Battle for Iwo Jima. The film primarily deals with the three surviving men that hoisted the flag for the infamous photograph, immortalized in Washington D.C. as the National Marine Memorial. "Flags of Our Fathers" looks at their involvement in the actual conflict trying to take Iwo Jima and its strategic airfield and their struggles in fighting a financial war across the United States in raising war bonds to help finance the final stages of World War II. Six men raised that second flag that was captured in the photograph, but only three men survived. Not all of the men enjoyed touring the country and not being involved in the final stages of conflict in bringing Japan to its knees and the event was not without controversy. Firstly, the flag was not the initial flag raised on Suribachi. It was the second. Secondly, one of the men that died and was said to have been in the photograph was part of the first flag raising and not one of the men that appeared on the famous photo.

John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and American Indian Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) were the three soldiers that survived the month long conflict on the small Japanese volcanic island. They were promptly given a free pass home and thrust into an effort to raise billions and billions of dollars from the American taxpayers and corporations to fund the building of tanks, plans and ammunition. Gagnon and Bradley were more accepting of their roles as financial cows for the military, though Bradley was tormented by his memories of what happened on the island. Hayes suffered from alcoholism and felt himself to be a disgrace and desperately wanted to be back with his Marine compatriots and fighting the war and not trying to raise money. Hayes was haunted by the loss of his friend and fellow flag raiser Mike Strank (Barry Pepper) and truly did not view himself as a hero, but idolized Strank and thought of him as such. Franklin Sousley (Joseph Cross) lost his life as well before the end of the conflict. Hank Hanson (Paul Walker) was claimed to have been one of the six, but in fact, he was not. The actual sixth man was Harlon Block (Benjamin Walker) and Block´s mother could recognize her son from a shot of his posterior and knew immediately it was really her son in the photograph.

Clint Eastwood´s film spends more time during the War Bond drive than he does on the volcanic beaches of Iwo Jima and slopes of Mount Suribachi. The three actors portraying Bradley, Gagnon and Hayes all do justice to their characters. Most impressive was Adam Beach as Ira "Chief" Hayes. In Beach´s performance, you can see the torment and pain of a man who is lost in alcohol and cannot even remotely accept being called a hero in light of those that died and the unspeakable things he did and witnessed on Iwo Jima. Beach´s speech given when his character is told he is no longer part of the War Bond drive was done perfectly. Jesse Bradford portrays Gagnon as a man who enjoyed the spotlight a bit too much and came across like a slimey used car salesman. If Gagnon was truly like this, then Bradford nailed it. Hayes and Gagnon did not get along and Ryan Phillippe is given the task of bringing peacemaker Doc Bradley to life. Bradley was asked to postpone needed surgery to complete the war bond drive and he is the most level-headed and aware of the three, though he is tormented by the combat he was a part of. I´ve never been much of a Ryan Phillippe fan, but in "Flags of Our Fathers," he earned some of my respect.

As the three principal actors and Eastwood bring about the trials and tribulations of dealing with ghosts of a conflict and the public eye, "Flags of Our Fathers" takes on a feel that is unlike most other war films. The film rides the fence as to taking an anti-war stance or a pro-war stance as it shows the horrible affect that war can have on men and how veterans can move from neo-celebrity status to being easily forgotten quite quickly. The fall of Ira Hayes is especially disheartening. The three men were more of a sideshow than they were a display of the humanity and effects of war. They are put on display and their story is distorted to have them appear to be larger than life. The uncomfortable and demeaning existence they are forced into is perfectly captured by Eastwood during the mock flag raising at Soldier Field. Each of the three actors bring about a different feel to a combat veteran and with Eastwood guiding them, "Flags of Our Fathers" shows the unfortunate situation the surviving flag raisers of the historic photograph had befall upon them.

The film is not without its combat sequences. With Steven Spielberg serving as Producer, the influence of "Saving Private Ryan" is certainly felt. The beach storming sequence is not initially as graphic nor as hectic as Spielberg´s landmark film, but the cinematography and aura of the event echoes that of the older film. In "Flags of Our Fathers," Eastwood does not shy away from blood and guts. They are prevalent. The combat is hectic and the viewer is placed in the center of the action. Gunshots fly in all directions and as was the case with "Saving Private Ryan," the viewer is certainly given the notion of being placed in the center of the battle. War is Hell and ever since that was first driven home by Spielberg, filmmakers have taken note and are no longer afraid to water down how violent and ugly battles truly are. No longer is John Wayne shot and simply falls to his death. Instead, actors are blown to bits in violent and horrendous visions of death. Eastwood learned from working with Spielberg and though I am admittedly tiring of "Saving Private Ryan" clones, "Flags of Our Fathers" is done well.

This is a brilliant film and our National Treasure, Mr. Eastwood has done a simply amazing job in delivering one of the absolute best war films ever made. War is not just about the blood that is spilled, the men that are lost, the metal that is disintegrated and the land that is conquered. It is about the men that served in the conflict and the effects that seeing the blood, destruction and death of a battle have on a man. The time that is spent on the ashen and rocky beaches of Iwo Jima does justice to the general feel of conflict on the island from the American perspective, though the adjoining "Letters from Iwo Jima" was certainly the better film in regards to showing the conflict. The battles scenes are not necessarily easy to stomach and many will object to the considerable amount of time spent by Eastwood on the War Bond drive. By devoting precious screen time to this aspect of war, Eastwood has entered near virgin territory in a war film. I´m sure the vast majority of the American public is familiar with the photograph from Iwo Jima, but I bet most know nothing about the men and the story behind about it. Clint Eastwood felt it was time to educate us and he did an incredible job.

Clint Eastwood is a national treasure. At seventy five years old, the veteran actor and director just keeps churning out incredible films. Whereas he thrilled audiences with numerous memorable character roles such as Harry Callahan the infamous man with no name in Sergio Leone´s spaghetti western trilogy, Clint Eastwood is one of the quintessential tough guy actors and perhaps the stereotypical image of a cinematic gunslinger. Though he has been directing films since 1971´s "Play Misty For Me," Eastwood did not get the credit he deserved as a filmmaker until 1991´s stunning revenge western, "Unforgiven." He has gotten numerous accolades since "Unforgiven" for films such as "Mystic River" and picked up a second Best Director Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby." In the year 2006, Eastwood signed on with Steven Spielberg for an unprecedented project – filming both sides of the Iwo Jima conflict concurrently and releasing them within a few months of each other. With the praise and support of the Japanese people and the permission to film on the island of Iwo Jima, Eastwood continues to be nothing short than amazing as both films are being nominated for Academy Awards in various categories and the adjoining film to "Flags of Our Fathers," "Letters from Iwo Jima" is up for Best Picture and Best Director.

I grew up on military and war films. My father retired from the Air Force after twenty nine years with the rank of Master Sergeant. He takes his military history and films that portray any conflict or branch of the service with a keen and critical eye. Despite being raised in an Air Force family, I joined the United States Army and served in the Infantry during the first Gulf War conflict. As an example of my love for military history, one of my prized possessions is a World War II vintage M1 Garand rifle, complete with a 1942 bayonet. Needless to say, there was quite a fervor upon hearing the news that Eastwood was going to film two pictures detailing the historic conflict that occurred on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and give the perspective from both sides of the conflict. The only other time that a major Hollywood production attempted something like this was the 1970 film "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and though that is a remarkable film for its period, it does not delve into any great depth due to its relatively short running time of 144 minutes. By dedicating two distinct films on the conflict, Eastwood promised perhaps the most comprehensive film of any World War II battle ever to be delivered to the big screen.

"Flags of Our Fathers" was completed and released first and featured the American perspective of the Battle for Iwo Jima. The film primarily deals with the three surviving men that hoisted the flag for the infamous photograph, immortalized in Washington D.C. as the National Marine Memorial. "Flags of Our Fathers" looks at their involvement in the actual conflict trying to take Iwo Jima and its strategic airfield and their struggles in fighting a financial war across the United States in raising war bonds to help finance the final stages of World War II. Six men raised that second flag that was captured in the photograph, but only three men survived. Not all of the men enjoyed touring the country and not being involved in the final stages of conflict in bringing Japan to its knees and the event was not without controversy. Firstly, the flag was not the initial flag raised on Suribachi. It was the second. Secondly, one of the men that died and was said to have been in the photograph was part of the first flag raising and not one of the men that appeared on the famous photo.

John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and American Indian Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) were the three soldiers that survived the month long conflict on the small Japanese volcanic island. They were promptly given a free pass home and thrust into an effort to raise billions and billions of dollars from the American taxpayers and corporations to fund the building of tanks, plans and ammunition. Gagnon and Bradley were more accepting of their roles as financial cows for the military, though Bradley was tormented by his memories of what happened on the island. Hayes suffered from alcoholism and felt himself to be a disgrace and desperately wanted to be back with his Marine compatriots and fighting the war and not trying to raise money. Hayes was haunted by the loss of his friend and fellow flag raiser Mike Strank (Barry Pepper) and truly did not view himself as a hero, but idolized Strank and thought of him as such. Franklin Sousley (Joseph Cross) lost his life as well before the end of the conflict. Hank Hanson (Paul Walker) was claimed to have been one of the six, but in fact, he was not. The actual sixth man was Harlon Block (Benjamin Walker) and Block´s mother could recognize her son from a shot of his posterior and knew immediately it was really her son in the photograph.

Clint Eastwood´s film spends more time during the War Bond drive than he does on the volcanic beaches of Iwo Jima and slopes of Mount Suribachi. The three actors portraying Bradley, Gagnon and Hayes all do justice to their characters. Most impressive was Adam Beach as Ira "Chief" Hayes. In Beach´s performance, you can see the torment and pain of a man who is lost in alcohol and cannot even remotely accept being called a hero in light of those that died and the unspeakable things he did and witnessed on Iwo Jima. Beach´s speech given when his character is told he is no longer part of the War Bond drive was done perfectly. Jesse Bradford portrays Gagnon as a man who enjoyed the spotlight a bit too much and came across like a slimey used car salesman. If Gagnon was truly like this, then Bradford nailed it. Hayes and Gagnon did not get along and Ryan Phillippe is given the task of bringing peacemaker Doc Bradley to life. Bradley was asked to postpone needed surgery to complete the war bond drive and he is the most level-headed and aware of the three, though he is tormented by the combat he was a part of. I´ve never been much of a Ryan Phillippe fan, but in "Flags of Our Fathers," he earned some of my respect.

As the three principal actors and Eastwood bring about the trials and tribulations of dealing with ghosts of a conflict and the public eye, "Flags of Our Fathers" takes on a feel that is unlike most other war films. The film rides the fence as to taking an anti-war stance or a pro-war stance as it shows the horrible affect that war can have on men and how veterans can move from neo-celebrity status to being easily forgotten quite quickly. The fall of Ira Hayes is especially disheartening. The three men were more of a sideshow than they were a display of the humanity and effects of war. They are put on display and their story is distorted to have them appear to be larger than life. The uncomfortable and demeaning existence they are forced into is perfectly captured by Eastwood during the mock flag raising at Soldier Field. Each of the three actors bring about a different feel to a combat veteran and with Eastwood guiding them, "Flags of Our Fathers" shows the unfortunate situation the surviving flag raisers of the historic photograph had befall upon them.

The film is not without its combat sequences. With Steven Spielberg serving as Producer, the influence of "Saving Private Ryan" is certainly felt. The beach storming sequence is not initially as graphic nor as hectic as Spielberg´s landmark film, but the cinematography and aura of the event echoes that of the older film. In "Flags of Our Fathers," Eastwood does not shy away from blood and guts. They are prevalent. The combat is hectic and the viewer is placed in the center of the action. Gunshots fly in all directions and as was the case with "Saving Private Ryan," the viewer is certainly given the notion of being placed in the center of the battle. War is Hell and ever since that was first driven home by Spielberg, filmmakers have taken note and are no longer afraid to water down how violent and ugly battles truly are. No longer is John Wayne shot and simply falls to his death. Instead, actors are blown to bits in violent and horrendous visions of death. Eastwood learned from working with Spielberg and though I am admittedly tiring of "Saving Private Ryan" clones, "Flags of Our Fathers" is done well.

This is a brilliant film and our National Treasure, Mr. Eastwood has done a simply amazing job in delivering one of the absolute best war films ever made. War is not just about the blood that is spilled, the men that are lost, the metal that is disintegrated and the land that is conquered. It is about the men that served in the conflict and the effects that seeing the blood, destruction and death of a battle have on a man. The time that is spent on the ashen and rocky beaches of Iwo Jima does justice to the general feel of conflict on the island from the American perspective, though the adjoining "Letters from Iwo Jima" was certainly the better film in regards to showing the conflict. The battles scenes are not necessarily easy to stomach and many will object to the considerable amount of time spent by Eastwood on the War Bond drive. By devoting precious screen time to this aspect of war, Eastwood has entered near virgin territory in a war film. I´m sure the vast majority of the American public is familiar with the photograph from Iwo Jima, but I bet most know nothing about the men and the story behind about it. Clint Eastwood felt it was time to educate us and he did an incredible job.

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